Chapter Fourteen
Hermione's feet beat hard upon the freezing ground as she ran full pelt to where the Gryffindors were. She pulled out her wand as she ran and shouted, "Stop!" All of the Gryffindors stopped and looked round, irritated, each one of them wondering what Hermione had been running up to them like that for.
Hermione stopped and pointed at the bushes. "Right, you!" she said loudly. "Out of there!"
Slowly, out from the bushes emerged Crabbe, Goyle and three other thuggish, brainless Slytherins whom Hermione did not know, and did not want to know. The people of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team looked at this brutish ensemble with surprise, then in unison produced their own wands and pointed them at the Slytherins. Hermione said, "Now push off, or we'll hex you so badly the finished result will be an improvement." Without a word the five cowardly Slytherins fled. They knew full well that they were no match for that many prepared Gryffindors.
The Gryffindors all looked at Hermione with utmost surprise on their faces. Hermione and the others put their wands back in their pockets, and Hermione looked at them, her face set, waiting for one of them to say something.
The Gryffindors had seemed to be waiting for her to speak first, until one of them broke the silence. It was the person Hermione had deemed the least likely to speak up. Ron. He said, "Whoah, Hermione… I mean, how did you even know they here there?" Hermione noticed that he and the others were looking at her with something close to respect. And also guilt. They had shunned her for quite a while, but despite it all, Hermione had still come through for them. It showed who exactly was acting the better person here.
Hermione hesitated before answering Ron's question. "You won't believe me if I tell you, you know," she said.
"No, we will," Ginny reassured her, resting her broom on the ground and leaning on it, "we promise. Right?" Everyone else nodded in agreement.
Hermione sighed. She might well be jeopardising her brief moment of not being ignored, but nevertheless she said, "Draco Malfoy told me."
Ginny did not seem at all perturbed by this. It seemed that this was what she had been expecting. Most of the others, on the other hand, exchanged doubtful looks.
"It's true!" Hermione insisted.
"I believe her," Ginny said. She turned to the others. "She wouldn't have said it otherwise. I mean, what would she gain from it? Nothing." Everyone else seemed to nod in reluctant agreement, except Harry, who frowned. Hermione knew he was ready to accept Hermione back, but never would he trust Draco Malfoy. Ron looked uncomfortable. He seemed to be torn between two opinions.
However, Hermione did not care much, because right now, she was being congratulated and slapped on the back for having saved them.